Crispus Attucks Park

A History

From Cable Yard to Kid's Center

From 1910 to the 1970s, the site on which Crispus Attucks Park sits today belonged to the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, which operated a telephone switching station and cable yard there.  C&P closed down operations on the property in the late 1960s, leaving behind an abandoned 8,275 square foot building and a 1.06 acre cement and asphalt pad strewn with industrial cables and spindles. The site sat neglected for nearly a decade, until neighbors began a campaign to convince C&P to convey the building and land to the neighborhood so it could be used as a community center and training facility for neighborhood youth. The campaign succeeded, and in 1977 the community group incorporated as "NUV-1," a 501c3 nonprofit named after the four streets that border the property: North Capitol Street NW, U Street NW, V Street NW, and 1st Street NW. Inspired by this story of collective community action and vision, the George Hyman Construction Company renovated the building at no charge, using scores of volunteers from the community for much of the work

In 1978, the community center began operation as Crispus Attucks  Park of the Arts, and NUV-1 saw its final name change, to the Crispus Attucks Development Corporation (CADC). Activities were initially funded by renting out the building for weekend social events, but soon the center began receiving annual funding from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. The center's programs were targeted largely to youth, and included classes in visual arts, photography, bicycle repair, music, dramatic arts, auto and home repairs, and crime prevention. The center also administered a summer construction and neighborhood revitalization program. Eventually, historical and fine art objects were put on display inside the building, and the center became CAMPA -- the Crispus Attucks Museum and Park of the Arts.

Budget Cuts, Hard Times, and a Turning Point

Unfortunately, CADC lost its funding from Park and Recreation in 1987 when the financially strapped city made severe, across-the-board budget cuts. The site sat neglected and the building vacant until the structure was gutted by fire on July 3, 1990. The years that followed were difficult ones as the situation grew progressively worse. Homeless people began living in abandoned vehicles parked on the property, and neighbors complained of drug dealing, prostitution, illegal dumping by construction companies, and other illicit activities in the park.

Finally, in response to mounting pressure from a frustrated community, DC police raided the homeless encampment in July of 1995, arresting the trespassers and towing the illegally parked vehicles. The action not only inspired the local residents, but also caught the eye of the Embassy of Australia, which selected CAMPA for its annual "Clean Up the World" project. In September of 1995, fifty embassy employees worked with the neighbors to clean up the park, seal up the abandoned building, and plant trees.

Neighbors recall the police action and clean up as a turning point.  The gates to the park were padlocked in an effort to prevent the situation from reoccurring. A few residents began to reclaim sections of the park near their homes, planting and tending to them the way many homeowners care for their own gardens. Working together, they also removed large sections of asphalt with pick-axes. These hardworking neighbors became the new leadership of CADC, with a new vision for the site as a "community oasis," a spot of green in a densely populated urban environment.

More Hurdles to Overcome

However, the new board quickly learned some unfortunate news: the DC Government had foreclosed on the park in November of 1998 for back taxes, liens, and unpaid utility bills totaling more than $270,000. The news galvanized the community, and the board began a campaign to aggressively pursue the return of site control. In April 2002, with assistance from The American University Law Clinic, CADC succeeded in getting the foreclosure dismissed. Capitalizing on the momentum of these successes, CADC enlisted the help of local officials to re-establish site control for CADC. Soon, champions on the City Council introduced legislation to do just that.

The legal and financial troubles did not stop the board from making progress on its goal of beautifying the site. The CAMPA building -- which had been damaged by fire a second time in July of 2000, this time beyond repair -- needed to be demolished. In February of 2001, CADC's advocates on the City Council succeeded in having the burned out structure razed.  Shortly thereafter, in August 2002, CADC received a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to landscape the park, enabling them to fill in the hole left by the removal of the building.

In February 2004, the DC City Council passed Bill 15-0068, the "Crispus Attucks Development Corporation Real Property Tax Exemption and Equitable Real Property Tax Relief Act of 2004"; The legislation returned full site control of the park to CADC, forgave all past unpaid property taxes and liens, and re-established the tax exempt status of the Crispus Attucks Park land. This legislation marked the beginning of a new and truly exciting era for the park.

And the Work Continues

In the spring of 2004, 10 more trees were planted in the west end of the park.  The trees were made possible by generous tree sponsorships and donations from individuals throughout the Bloomingdale community, and by the proceeds from a spring park fundraiser ("Bloomingdale's Biggest Yard Sale," now an annual event). CADC is currently in the process of terracing the west end of the park to reduce soil erosion.  Volunteers answered the call in spring 2004 to complete stage 1, cutting three tiers into the lawn along the north fence.  Stages 2 and 3, along the southern and western fences, are expected to be carried out in spring of 2005. In the mean time, we are working hard to produce a long-term design plan for the park.